In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date:                (i) part of common general knowledge; or        (ii) known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.        
Garlic is utilized in many food cultures for its distinctive flavor. It has also been of interest in medicine for many years and has recently recaptured the interest of the public and of modern Western medical science. This is primarily because of garlic's relatively high sulfur content, historic antibacterial use and reported protective effects on the cardiovascular system.
During the last decade epidemiological, in vivo and in vitro studies, have suggested important cardioprotective properties associated with an increase of garlic in the diet including:                a) reduction of blood cholesterol levels which may assist in treating hypercholesterolaemia which is a major risk factor for heart disease;        b) increase of antioxidant activity which assists in reduction of atherosclerosis and lowering of blood viscosity;        c) decrease in blood pressure and hardening of the aorta;        d) potential protection against breast cancer;        e) inhibition of blood clotting and reduction in platelet aggregation;        f) reduction in blood glucose levels; and        g) protection against ventricular tachycardia, and fibrillation during ischaemia and reperfusion.        
As a result of the recognition of these health benefits, garlic supplements have become popular in the market. These supplements are available as garlic powders, oil macerates, steam distilled oils and aged garlic extracts. Fresh garlic and dried powders are typically used in food preparation and as spices but may also be presented as tablets. Steam distilled oils and aged extracts are used in tablets, soft gelatin capsules or liquids.
Actives and Dosage
When a garlic bulb is crushed, allinase found in vacuoles reacts with S-alk(en)ylcysteine sulfoxide within the cell, forming sulfenic acids which spontaneously convert to thiosulfinates including allicin. The thiosulfinates further degrade to vinyl dithins and ajoenes within 24 hours. The thiosulfinate allicin accounts for approximately 70% of the total thiosulfinates produced and is thought to be the principle bioactive compound responsible for the health promoting benefits of garlic.
Most of the cardio-protective and antibacterial effects of garlic seem to be derived from allicin, its metabolites and to a lesser extent the dialkyl sulfides. The ajoenes have been shown to be powerful inhibitors of platelet aggregation. The most conclusively shown beneficial effect is a reduction of low density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, although the results published to date are variable and inconsistent. Recent evidence suggests that this variation may be due to variability arising from dose formulation causing inconsistent allicin release. These results could be interpreted to mean that the therapeutic efficacy of garlic is dose dependant, relying upon the quantity of allicin released.
As studies have not conclusively shown which phytochemical components are responsible for which beneficial effects provided by garlic, many garlic supplements are currently available on the market such as garlic powders, oil macerates steam distilled oils and aged garlic extracts. Each dose form varies in the phytochemical content because of the different methods of preparation. Even though still relatively inconsistent, the most reproducible cardiovascular benefits seem to be derived from use of fresh garlic and of carefully dried garlic powders.
Therefore, in order to reproduce the historic health benefits of garlic demonstrated in epidemiological studies and maximize therapeutic activity of garlic, the finished product not only needs to be representative of fresh garlic but contain adequate amounts of active phytochemicals, in particular allicin, because efficacy seems dose dependant.
Another factor affecting the efficacy of garlic supplements is the fact that allinase's activity is known to be completely inhibited by the acidic conditions of the stomach. However, the watery alkaline activity in the small intestine does not inhibit allinase activity enabling allicin, other thiosulfinates and/or thiosulfinate metabolites, to be metabolised and transported across the gut mucosa into the portal vein, to reach the liver and cardiovascular system. If allicin and the other thiosulfinates can reach the small intestine they are then able to provide beneficial effects including benefiting the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the garlic supplement should protect allinase from stomach acid.
Garlic Odor
Unfortunately, the consumption of garlic often produces the unsociable ‘garlic breath’ and general garlic odor. This limits consumption and deprives the public of a therapeutically valuable food, or dietary supplement well recognized for its health promoting benefits. Like many other plant remedies, garlic is a complex mix of biological and phytochemical components, of which the bioactive sulfur compounds have drawn the most attention.
Although allicin is thought to be the principle active compound responsible for providing most of the pharmacological activity of garlic, its metabolic processing by the body to mercaptans is responsible for the characteristic “garlic odor”. Allicin is also thought to be responsible for the odor of garlic released in the buccal cavity and upper gastrointestinal tract after consumption. As a result, increasing the dosage of allicin in garlic supplements may cause an increase in garlic odor on the breath.
Some manufacturers have developed formulations to minimize this odor. Odor reducing strategies for garlic supplements have previously included addition of charcoal, titanium dioxide, milk sugar, potato starch, gallic acid or other substances with little success. Odor minimized garlic extracts may also be produced by aging or denaturation of allinase activity. However, minimization of odor may also eliminate many of garlic's active pharmacological compounds and therefore eliminate some of the beneficial effects, for example, aging or denaturation of allinase activity inhibits allicin producing potential. In fact, these deodorized garlic supplements have demonstrated very low efficacy levels.
Parsley has been used in an attempt to reduce the odor of garlic preparations and tablets by mixing the parsley with the garlic in the tablet matrix. The action of parsley is thought to be accomplished by the addition of chlorophyll. The “odor blocking” potency of parsley and chlorophyll has not been previously studied but addition of other strong-smelling volatile oils from thyme, peppermint or other Lamiaceae species is thought to mask the strong garlic odor. Green tea extract, standardized to contain polyphenols (catechins), has been tested for deodorizing properties, and found more effective than synthetic deodorants against mercaptan (cause of garlic odor), ammonia, trimethylamine and cigarette smells. Whilst these deodorizing agents do mask the garlic odor to some extent, there is still some odor remaining at a level which many people find objectionable.
Some manufacturers have used an enteric coating to mask the odor of garlic supplements. This has the double advantage of protecting the allinase from the stomach acids until the supplement reaches the small intestine. Whilst enteric coatings have been the most successful method at reducing garlic odor, it has been found that when garlic tablets are consumed daily, an objectionable garlic odor is noticeable in some people after the second day.
While the potential benefits of garlic have been recognized, and many attempts made to provide garlic supplements in a variety of forms including tablets, the odor of garlic has limited the success of these supplements. The previous attempts to in some way alleviate the odors caused by consumption of garlic have not been very successful. There is thus a need for an improved garlic supplement or food to provide beneficial effects for humans and to further reduce the smell of the garlic associated with a high allicin producing garlic powder while maintaining efficacy.